This corn dip is elote in dip form! With the presence of mayo, chili powder, lime juice, and cotija cheese you’re sure to have a winner whether on your own dinner table or at a party. Get out the chips (or the spoons…) and dive in! 

THE INGREDIENTS:

Frozen Corn: To have corn dip, you can probably guess that we need some corn. We like to use frozen corn because it’s a lot easier to just dump some corn out of a bag than peeling husks, washing, and cutting off kernels. However, fresh corn is delicious and can be used as a substitute in this recipe! You also can use canned corn, if that is what you have on hand. 

Red Onion: Classic elote usually keeps it more simple: corn, mayo, lime juice, cotija cheese, chili powder, and salt. It’s also served as a whole corn on the cob. However, as we’re making a dip, we have a little bit more freedom to add extra stuff! Red onion pairs well with the corn and adds a bit more extra flavor. You’re free to omit it if it isn’t to your taste, but good substitutes include: white onion, yellow onion, green onion, dried minced onion, or onion powder. Add the fresh onions or dried minced onion at the same step as the jalapeno. Throw in the onion powder with all the other spices in the fourth step. We’ve done it all and there really is no messing up this recipe! 

Jalapeno: A nice little kick, jalapeno pairs well with the corn and is tempered down by the addition of mayo, cotija cheese, and lime juice. Feel free to skip it if it isn’t your thing, but you could also replace it with part of a poblano pepper or some canned mild green chiles. 

Cilantro: Given how rich the corn dip can get, a nice herby bite is just what it needs! Feel free to adjust as needed or replace it with parsley, but we have found parsley doesn’t hold up as well in the presence of all these strong flavors as compared to other recipes. Make sure to add fresh herbs at the end so that they maintain their best flavor, as well! The longer fresh herbs cook, the more their flavor actually decreases. 

Lime Juice: By adding the lime juice right at the very end, we ensure this acidic ingredient sticks out. If you were to add the lime juice right away, it has time to diminish in flavor and acidity. In citrus, a lot of the flavor is in the zest and the acidity in the juice! If you want more lime flavor present, we actually recommend adding in some lime zest. If you don’t have lime juice on hand, lemons or oranges are good replacements.

Mayo: We’ve already gone as low as the amount of mayo can go! Although mayo is a key part of elote, we know a little goes a long way. Although there are only 3 tablespoons in this recipe, the mayo is still very much apparent. We do not recommend decreasing the amount of mayo in this recipe. Good substitutes include crema, creme fraiche, sour cream, or even a little Greek yogurt. You could replace the mayo entirely or in part with these options! If you want the mayo to be a bit more straightforward, feel free to add more. We recommend increasing the amount of mayo in this recipe by 1 tablespoon at a time-tasting until it is just right. 

Cotija Cheese: Cotija cheese can be pretty hard to find but it is definitely worth it in this recipe! Cotija cheese is crumbly and not one that is easy to melt, making it perfect as a topping on this dip. Good replacements for it, however, include goat cheese, feta, parmesan, or queso fresco. Go with what you have and what you like! 

Garlic Salt: Given that most of us have salt and garlic powder in our cupboards, it gets hard to use up garlic salt. By using garlic salt we have our solution! We don’t want garlic to play an overly strong role in this recipe. Of course, it is fine to replace this with a mixture of 75% salt and 25% garlic powder! Adjust this to your preference-some like it salty, some don’t. 

Chili Powder: Chili powder is classically dusted on top of corn. However, we like to do it two ways by mixing it into the dip itself and dusting it on top, as well. If you’re one to shy away from the heat, we totally get it, and you can skip dusting the chili powder on top of your dip. 

Smoked Paprika: The very first time our family introduced us to corn dip, it was dusted with smoked paprika instead of chili powder! We’ve been obsessed with smoked paprika ever since. The smoky flavor that it adds to this dip really does take it to another level! 

Vegetable Oil: We need a little fat to cook our jalapeno and onions in! Adding spices to hot oil also causes a process called “blooming”, which strengthens their flavor. That means if you want a stronger dip, you can add the seasonings even prior to the red onion and jalapeno! Feel free to replace this vegetable oil with butter, it really just depends on which you feel like using. 

KEY INFORMATION:

What Goes Well With Frozen Corn Dip? Although you can serve this corn dip with chips as an appetizer, don’t feel like that is all it is good for! This frozen corn dip is also a good vegetable side dish and how we usually eat it! We like to pair it with rice, guacamole or vegetables, and chickpeas or chicken for a taco night rice bowl. 

Using What You Have: We have made this corn dip in what feels like a million different ways, all based around what we have in our pantry. So don’t feel like because you are missing cotija cheese, mayonnaise, or even smoked paprika that you cannot make this! Look at what you have and see what might be a good substitute. Look in the ingredients section for ideas!